This was also the first time in the band’s history that HAYDAMAKY crossed the ocean. The visit to Canada had a great impact on the musicians – it made a shocking impression and expanded their outlook on the world. The band played successful concerts in Canada’s largest cities – Edmonton, Winnipeg and Saskatoon. There, 8000 kilometers away from Ukraine, fans knew the words to HAYDAMAKY songs by heart. The band only needed to play two notes before the hall went crazy, and at the end of the song – there was a flurry of applause. The band was the headliner for the largest Ukrainian festival in North America – the Toronto Ukrainian Festival (2009, Toronto, Canada), which like Europe’s Sziget with HAYDAMAKY on the Main Stage, gathered close to 400 000 people. These were the last concerts played by drummer Ruslan Ovras. At this point, new blood – Serhiy Borisenko – definitely became a part of the team. Upon the band’s return from Canada, they played shows in Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, and in cities across Ukraine as part of the Rock Sich Festival (2009, Ukraine).

On December 5th, HAYDAMAKY played at the Palats Sportu – the largest concert hall in Ukraine – for a festival of Balkan music Balkanfest (2009, Kyiv, Ukraine). A large hall and a European scale event helped the band to demonstrate its high standard and potential in Ukraine – the show, which was organized by the HAYDAMAKY was attended by several thousand Ukrainians. The Festival culminated with Emir Kusturica and The No Smoking Orchestra’s song Bubamara, performed jointly by the HAYDAMAKY and Gogol Bordello’s lead singer. On the stage of the Palats, the musicians created a massive, thrilling dance floor inviting fans up on stage for the finale.